ROCKFORD — Three Winnebago County museums are getting grant funding from the state to upgrade exhibits, storage space and make accessibility modifications.

Gov. Pat Quinn announced $20 million in capital investment funding last week. Nearly $1 million of it is coming to Rockford.

“These investments will help museums attract even more visitors, boost tourism, create hundreds of jobs and help preserve our history for generations to come,” he said in a news release.

The projects are part of the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The maximum grant award was $750,000 and matching funds were required in many cases based on the museum attendance levels from the previous year.

The museum grants are part of the Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years.

Here’s more about the local recipients:

Discovery Center Museum in Rockford received $294,000 to replace and refurbish exhibits for ADA accessibility, and to expand the early childhood gallery. Total project cost $294,000.

Veterans Memorial Hall in Rockford received $251,900 to create and install exhibit cabinetry, repair a Civil War statue and prepare the site for outdoor monument placement. Total project cost $293,400.